Improvement in processes and apparatus for the manufacture of gas



T. G. SPRINGER.

Process and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas.

0. 196.495. Patented Oct. 23,- 1877.

I INVEN o I 1.111111? ATTORNEYS N. PETERS, F'HOTO-UTHOGRAFHERBWASHINGTON, Dv C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn THEODORE Gr. SPRINGER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,495, dated October 23, 1877; application filed August 2,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEo. G. SPRINGER, of Louisville, in the county of Jefierson and in the State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Process and Apparatus'for the Manufacture of Gas; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of an automatic machine for producing a fixed gas from petroleum, or its products, and water, and, also, storing away in the day time a sufficient amount of heat to generate what gas is consumed through the night, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of parts thereof.

In all the old processes the gas is generated during the day-time by keeping the retorts constantly at work, storing away the gas generated in a L rge gas-holder and consuming it at night, which requires a very large receiver to hold the gas, and this is very expensive, and requires a great deal of room.

' In my process of storing away the heat in the day-time, and making the gas at night just as it is used, I do not require more than one fifteenth part the room or one -twentieth part the expense in the construction of my works to make the same amount of gas as by the old process. Besides, I am enabled to put in works for a single block of buildings in a city, which would not be practical by the old process, on account of room and the smell attending the storing of the gas.

By my process I can construct works in each block in a city, and as I require no holder to store the gas in, and no main pipes 1. rger than four inches, I am enabled to light a town for one-half the cost of laying mains by the old process. I

The generator A is made of boiler iron, tightly riveted together. The inside is lined with fire-bricks B, so arranged as to leave a (lead-air space, a, of about three inches between the lining and the outside shell. This generator stands perpendicular, and has a perforated diaphragm, 0, about the center, above which the generator is filled with some refractory porous substance. Directly below the division 0 is a door, I), tightly fitted to admit coal, and about fourteen inches above the lower end of the generator is a grate, D, to receive the coal. Below this grate is another air in heating the generator, and to remove the ashes. A little above the division 0 is a pipe, 6, as shown.

' In the top of the generator is an opening, having a valve, f, and also a stack or pipe, E, which serves as a chimney to increase the draft. The stack or pipe E, when the machine is being operated, will be provided with a chain and pulleys, so as easily to raise or lower the same.

G is a pipe, which conducts the gas from the generator A B to the washer and cooler H, and should be provided with a stop-cock.

The washer and cooler II is provided with a series of perforated diaphragms or divisions, h, and at the lower end it is to be provided off without admitting any gas to follow.

The upper end of the cooler is provided with a pipe, J, to admit a flow of water regulated by a cock. This cock can be automatically operated by the rise and fall of the governor K, so as to admit of just the quantity of water necessary to cool the amount of gas being made.

On top of the cooler are two tanks, L and L, to contain, respectively, water and naphtha or petroleum. These tanks are provided with a cock or device, M, operated by a lever, N, from the governor, for automatically discharging the exact quantity of petroleinn or naphtha and water as is required to make the amount of gas being consumed.

O O are the pipes connecting the tanks with the generator, said pipes being provided with suitable stop-cocks. ries the gas from the cooler to the governor. It is the connection from the governor to the pipes where the gas is to be consumed.

The machine being set up ready to operate, a fire is made in the lower part of the generator on the grate D, and, after being fairly door, cl, fitted as above, which serves to give with a siphon-pipe, to allow the water to flow P is the pipe which cari started, eoal is put intothe generator through the door b, filling the generatornearly up to 1 Z 's airl :(loorywhen the door? iselosetlr XVhen the I 'coal heoomeswell heated and burning nicely:

an air-blast is turned on through the pipe 2 lower part of the generator, and. are instantly j V eonverted into earbonie-oxiile 7 gas and carbu 1 V reited hydrogen antl foreetheirway through a V the; pipe G into the washer: :H, passing 11p l r 1 through the perforated V division s, meeting the water which is :fiowing into the waeh'er, and

the gas is therel'rly thoroughly Washed and i cooleh 7 From the aeher' the gas is foreed through: the pipe 1? ilfito'the governor which Vi instantly begins to rise and operateson the V device for admitting anrl closing off; the water I :andinaphtha, and onlyall'owsj enoughto enter.

the generator toenpplyzthe amount of lights: j being-nsechf, V V N r Two: generators may be used to onemaohina if desired, in which ease the generators can be 11111611817119.1161, and one may he fired'up while the other one is working off its heat;

The generator will be heavily covered with 7 closed the staolo I raised; and; thevalvefg fitted down gas-tight V =Then, by openingthe'eooke in the pipes G 7 Q and Oi O, the naphtha and water flow into the some rnoneonclu eting rradiation of theheat. V V V 1 7 Having thus fnlly gle-soribed' my iv hat I Claim as new 'Letters Patent, is-' a vis consumed, into "a fixed gas, as setiorth; i

night, in the' proportion 5 as :suoh gas is being consumed, as set forth. 7 i 'f V V 3; The generator consisting of the'onter tween thenn ancl provided with thedoors} b d,' perforated diaphragm O,

forthe purposes herein setforth; I

Wi'tne'ssesz V FRANK GALT,

HENRY N. MILLER.

material to prevent the V i V intention; 5 V V and desire to secure by V 1.7 Theproeess of making a fixed'illmninati iing gasby feeding hydrocarbon liqnid and] water automatically, in proportion'as thegas i Z an; incandescent body? of 'eoal'in the combustion-:ehamber of the gener' it later, and forcing" the gas and vapors there Z 5 generated through a heat-absorber; for making 1 I lneomhinationwith a gas-holtler moan automatic regulator; a gas-generator eon'sist 1 ing: of anexterior shell antl'interior iiningg j 3 V with airispaee between thein; anti 5a 'perfo- V i 7 5 atecl ttiYiSiOH 12 diaphragm inside thle lining, I

forming: a heat-absorber aboveancl a combos-i V tion-c-ham her below the division, wherebythe heat: may be; stored xlurin g; the day-time; for 1 use in the manufacture or illuminating-gas at j Shell A,i1;1nerbriek liningZE and space a r V V V grate 1D, air-pipe e, 7' Valve f; and stack E, all: substantially as and V V In testiinonv that 1 01am the aregomg I 5 I have hereunto set Inyhantl this 16th day of V a a I :rnnononn e anemone; 1 

